The present invention is directed to paint color cards and methods of using the same to market and select paints.
Merchants who sell paint typically provide color samples of their paint to assist customers in selecting paint having a desired color and texture. Conventionally, multiple color samples are arranged on a single piece of heavy paper or cardboard, commonly referred to as a color strip or color card. In a typical color card, the color samples comprise small rectangular chips or swatches, each having an area less than about 2 square inches. The swatches are of different colors and are arranged in close proximity to each other on only one side of the color card. Usually, the swatches are different tints and shades of a particular hue. A conventional color card typically has a length of about 6–10 inches and a width of about 1 to 2 inches.
Conventionally, color cards are displayed in fan decks and racks. In both of these types of display, the color cards are stacked on top of each other. In a fan deck, the color cards have aligned openings through which a pin or shaft extends. The color cards may be pivoted along the shaft in opposing directions to fan the cards out so that a plurality of the color cards may be viewed at one time. In a conventional rack, stacks of different color cards are held in rows of mounting slots or pockets, with each stack being comprised of identical color cards. In this manner, when a prospective purchaser removes one of the color cards from a stack, an identical color card comes into view, thereby maintaining a full display of all the different color cards.
Conventional color cards have several deficiencies. When a color sample of particular interest is viewed next to other color samples in a conventional color card, the human eye tends to blend the colors together, thereby giving the viewer an inaccurate impression of the color sample of particular interest. The small size of the color samples in a conventional color card also fails to impart the same intensity the corresponding paint would have on a large surface. A further deficiency of conventional color cards is that they are not adapted for determining the compatibility of paint to elements within an environment in which the paint is to be utilized. For example, if it is desired to evaluate the compatibility of a particular paint to fabric on a couch, a conventional color card containing the color sample corresponding to the paint is simply held up next to the couch and an evaluation is made. This type of comparison is merely unidirectional and fails to simulate the effect that will be produced when the couch is surrounded by a wall covered with the paint.
In order to remedy some of the foregoing deficiencies of conventional color cards a color card has been developed wherein the color card contains only one color sample. More specifically, the entire side of the color card is one color. This type of color card addresses the color blending and intensity deficiencies, but does not address the deficiency with regard to determining compatibility.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a paint color card that addresses the color blending and intensity deficiencies of conventional color cards and is also adapted for determining compatibility. The present invention is directed to such a paint color card and methods of using the same.